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Underarm odor is caused by the interaction of bacteria and the secretions of what glands?

Answer 1

Apocrine sweat glands.

Sweat glands are primarily of two types:

The sweat secreted by eccrine glands is primarily composed of water and salts, which is not very interesting to bacteria. On the other hand, sweat secreted by apocrine glands is primarily composed of fatty substances (cholesterol, fatty acids, glycerol, wax esters, squalene, etc.), but it also contains a protein called sialomucin, which is a glycoprotein and contains sialomycin, which is highly attractive to bacteria.

Apocrine sweat is odorless up until bacteria begin to break down the molecules. Different bacteria will break down molecules in different ways, and the resulting byproducts will smell different on different people due to the diversity of bacteria that live on human skin.

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Answer 2

Adeline Allen

Apocrine glands.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

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